Jibril Rajoub, President of the Palestine Football Association, has been denied a visa to enter the United States, barring him from attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite holding valid official FIFA accreditation for the tournament. US authorities refused his entry ahead of the competition, which opened on Thursday at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Rajoub watched the opening match between Mexico and South Africa from Mexico City, where he remains.
Palestine’s national team did not qualify for the tournament, but Rajoub had planned to travel as part of the global delegation of football officials attending matches across the three host nations: the United States, Canada and Mexico. His accreditation, issued directly by FIFA, entitled him to attend in an official capacity.
Rajoub said the decision was politically driven. “I don’t believe that it’s fair to use or to abuse and deny the right of all footballers all over the world to attend,” he told reporters. He pointed to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, which he attended without facing any diplomatic obstruction, as evidence that the current restrictions represent a departure from standard practice for host nations.
His case is part of a broader pattern of visa denials and entry restrictions that have cast a shadow over the tournament before a ball was kicked on US soil.
A Tournament Marked by Blocked Entry
Omar Abdulkadir Artan, the Somali referee named African Referee of the Year for 2025, was denied entry to the United States despite holding a valid visa issued by the State Department itself, according to Middle East Eye. FIFA subsequently dropped him from the tournament’s officiating roster. Artan has since been appointed to officiate the UEFA Super Cup final.
Members of the Iraqi national delegation also ran into difficulties at Chicago’s airport. Star player Aymen Hussein and the team’s photographer were both detained for seven hours upon arrival. Hussein was eventually allowed into the country; the photographer was not and was sent back.
The International Sports Press Association reported that multiple African and Iranian journalists have been refused the multi-entry visas required to follow matches across all three host nations. Ticket-holding fans from Scotland and Morocco have had travel authorisations cancelled or visas denied with little notice in the days before the tournament began.
Iran’s situation drew particular attention. The country’s official eight percent ticket allocation was revoked just days before the tournament opened, leaving fans who had already booked flights and accommodation with no route to the matches, according to Middle East Eye.
The US Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents would be deployed at stadiums hosting matches inside the United States. More than 120 civil rights organisations released a joint statement saying the presence of ICE agents puts the safety of international visitors and stadium workers at risk.
Rajoub’s Broader Political Standing
Rajoub’s relationship with US and Israeli officials has been tense for some time. Last month, he publicly declined a request from FIFA President Gianni Infantino to shake hands with the head of the Israeli Football Association at a FIFA event, stating that the gesture would serve to whitewash what he described as Israel’s unlawful actions. The incident drew wide attention during the 76th FIFA Congress held in Vancouver, Canada, on 30 April 2026.
His exclusion from the United States now means he is unable to fulfil his role as a FIFA-accredited football official for the duration of the tournament’s matches played on US territory.
FIFA’s Response and Its Limits
FIFA issued a statement clarifying that it does not intervene in the domestic immigration and visa decisions made by host nations. The governing body’s position drew immediate comparisons to its conduct in 2023, when it stripped Indonesia of hosting rights for the Under-20 World Cup after Indonesian officials objected to the participation of Israel’s national team. Critics noted that FIFA acted swiftly then, but has taken no equivalent action against the United States over widespread visa denials affecting accredited officials, journalists and fans.
FIFA has not publicly addressed how it intends to reconcile its stated non-interference position with its obligations to accredited delegates attending its own competition.
What Happens Next
Rajoub is expected to remain in Mexico City for the foreseeable future, where he can attend matches played in Mexico without restriction. No formal appeal mechanism against his US visa denial has been announced by the Palestine Football Association. FIFA has not indicated it will seek to intervene on behalf of Rajoub or any other accredited official blocked from entering the United States. The International Sports Press Association has called on FIFA and US authorities to resolve the multi-entry visa situation affecting journalists before matches advance further into the tournament schedule. No response from the US State Department addressing Rajoub’s case specifically had been issued at the time of publication.
